A group of 67 Greenlandic women are pursuing compensation from the Danish government for a 1960s-era campaign of coerced birth control.
At least 4,500 women, including some adolescents, were implanted with contraceptive coils as part of a program designed to reduce fertility rates among the indigenous population.
The probe is expected to be completed in 2025. Nevertheless, the ladies, some of whom are already in their 70s, are demanding recompense right away.
Each individual is seeking 300,000 kroner (£34,880; $42,150). Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953, when it was transferred to its current status as a Danish semi-sovereign territory.
A podcast that was produced by the Danish broadcaster DR in the previous year provided insight into the breadth of the campaign.
The national archives revealed that between 1966 and 1970, women as young as 13 were implanted with intrauterine devices (IUDs) without their knowledge or consent.
According to DR, the government of Greenland estimates that by the end of 1969, 35 percent of women in the territory who could have potentially given birth had been fitted with an IUD.
A commission established by the governments of Denmark and Greenland to investigate the program will not deliver its findings until May 2025.
"We do not wish to await the results of the investigation," said Naja Lyberth, a psychologist who initiated the compensation claim. "We are advancing in years.
The eldest members of our group, who had IUDs implanted in the 1960s, were born in the 1940s and are approaching 80 years of age. We want to act immediately."
Ms. Lyberth stated that in some instances, the implants were too large for the girls' bodies, causing severe health complications or even infertility.
In other instances, the women were unaware of the implants until they were recently discovered by gynecologists. She claimed that the Danish government of the time wished to limit Greenland's population in order to save money on welfare.
She stated, "It is completely evident that the government has broken the law by violating our human rights and causing us grave harm."
On Monday, the attorney who is representing the women, Mads Pramming, delivered a claim to the office of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on their behalf.
Ms. Lyberth stated that she anticipated that the government would deny the request until the outcome of the commission, and that the group would take the case to court in the event that the government did deny the request.
The previous year, Denmark issued an apology and compensated six Inuit people who had been separated from their families in the 1950s as part of an effort to create a Danish-speaking elite within Greenland. The attempt was made by Denmark.
Greenland is the largest island in the globe and also the landmass that is located the farthest north. The population of Greenland is only 57,000 people.
The area has its own flag, language, and prime minister, but Denmark continues to exercise control over its monetary system, legal system, and all matters pertaining to its international and national security.
